The invention relates to business cards, and, in particular, to business cards having removable labels.
A wide variety of devices and systems have been proposed for organizing and storing business cards. Many business people receive a number of business cards from a variety of sources as they conduct their business activities. For many people, the business cards are simply dropped in a drawer or left in a pile somewhere on or in a desk, the information on the cards thus being available only with some searching and effort. Other times a business card will be taped in a particular location, such as a file, a personal planner, etc. While this makes the information on the card available when that particular file or planner is being used, the information is not otherwise available or readily at hand, since the business card is essentially a xe2x80x9cone usexe2x80x9d devicexe2x80x94i.e., it presents information in only one place.
One solution proposed for handling business cards is a business card folder or notebook containing, for example, pages of transparent pockets into which cards may be inserted. While these types of organizers can be used to organize the cards, they again present the information only in one place. Many business people do not find the time to maintain such dedicated card organizers. Even with such an organizer, if one needs the information to be available in more than one location, it must be manually copied from the business card to, e.g., a contact list in a personal planner, personal phone list, a file folder, etc.
Business people who work out of more than one office (e.g., either branch locations or even a home office) also experience frustration in not having business card information readily available at each of their office locations. Unless they are very conscientious about maintaining a business card organizer and keeping it with them at all times, they often will find that the information they need is on a business card located at one of their other offices.
The invention relates to a multiple-use, wallet-sized business card assembly, and to composite sheets and methods for producing such cards. On each card, typically, business card identification information is printed on its top surface. Two or more adhesive-backed removable labels are secured to the bottom surface of the business card, and each of these labels has the business card identification information printed on it. Thus, when a person receives the business card, they may peel off one of the removable labels and place it, for example, in their personal planner. Another label may be peeled off and placed, for example, in a file relating to the person identified on the business card. Yet another label may be peeled off and placed, for example, on a conventional ROLODEX(copyright)-style card. The business card itself is still intact, and may be placed in a business card organizer, in the proverbial pile of cards on one""s desk, or in any other convenient location. The business card may be of the conventional flat type, or may be of a folded tent-type. The card may also include a release liner beneath the removable labels, the release liner also optionally including additional printed information. Further, a pre-printed and perforated sheet containing several multiple business cards would allow the user to create their own card display information.
The invention further provides for a composite sheet for producing business cards comprising a first and second sheet having confronting surfaces sandwiching between them an adhesive layer. The confronting surface of the first sheet is more easily peeled from the adhesive layer than the confronting surface of the second sheet so that when the sheets are peeled apart, the adhesive layer remains with the second sheet. The composite sheet has a first series of cuts formed in it and configured and arranged in business card shapes, the first series of cuts enabling the composite sheet to retain its integrity as a sheet during a subsequent printing operation but permitting the composite sheet to be easily separated along the first series of cuts into a plurality of business card sized and shaped portions. The second sheet has a second series of cuts formed in it, but not in the first sheet, being so positioned with respect to said first series of cuts as to define a plurality of individually removable labels extending across each business card sized portion. The composite sheet may be printed on both sides and subsequently separated into business card sized portions to provide business cards having printed information on one side and readily removable, adhesive-bearing printed labels on the other side.
The invention further provides a method of producing business cards by providing a composite sheet having first and second sheets having confronting surfaces sandwiching between them a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. The adhesive layer remains with the second sheet when the sheets are peeled apart. A first series of cuts is applied to the composite sheet dividing such sheet into a plurality of business card size portions in various configurations of cards per sheet. A second series of cuts is applied to the second sheet, but not the first sheet, the second series of cuts being so positioned with respect to the first series of cuts as to define a plurality of individually removable labels extending across each business card sized portion. One may print business card information on each of the business card sized portions of the first sheet and the same or related business card information on the labels, subsequently separating each business card portion from neighboring business card portions to provide a series of business cards.